Poland Leftist Prime Minister Donald Tusk Leads a Judicial Coup D'Etat

CTH

Comment:

James Carville, anyone?

If Poland's situation is a coup, then why wouldn't what Carville is proposing a coup??? The Constitution will be reduced to a mere scrap of paper if Carville gets his way.

Karl Rove may well be the architect of defeat, if Texas foolishly listens to him enough

That is my judgment of the situation. Anyone reading this can read my Brave AI dialogue on the subject of Karl Rove for some background info. I will add a few thoughts here.

Ronald Reagan once said to keep factional arguments out of the public sphere. Indeed, Talarico is making good use of the internal arguments within the Texas GOP. The arguments against Paxton were hyped in order to weaken him politically. The charges were from a corrupted FBI that also gave us the Russian collusion hoax. The hyped charges made cannon fodder for Talarico's phony attacks on Paxton. All of this was self-inflicted by the internal factionalism inside the GOP, and made public. It continues today with the likes of Rove and the rest of the Bush clan.

Stylistically, Trump isn't Reagan, but even with respect to Reagan, the Bushes weren't as loyal as they often pretended to be.

Papa Bush distinguished himself from Reagan, with his "compassionate conservatism", and then proceded to split the party. Reagan's idea to keep the disagreements private is one of the factors that made the GOP stronger during the Reagan Era. The party has suffered from disunity since. Trump is asking for loyalty and Rove is refusing to give it. Rove is feeding the flames of disunity and defeat. It may well result in a Talarico victory, unless the public sees through the charade.

The public sniping originated from the likes of Rove and the faction he leads. Let's face it, the GOP is split according to the positions on free trade and immigration. The Bush faction wants more immigration, while the country is currently swamped with millions of illegal immigrants already. As far as free trade, yours truly has no problem with it--but with a few reservations. It should not be free trade uber alles, but fair trade. However, Rove's commentary is not helpful, and most likely, is not accurate at all. The tariffs are not inflationary, and Trump is negotiating bilateral agreements as opposed to trading block arrangements like NAFTA was. High tariffs aren't likely if trade is truly free AND fair.

With respect to inflation, the Bush's faction of excessive government spending doesn't even jibe with the elder Bush's inaugural address of the "thin wallet" with respect to spending or something to that effect. Not to mention that Bush reneged on his no new taxes pledge. Excessive spending has now ballooned the debt to such an extent that the government must pay more to service the debt than it costs for national defense. A ballooning debt is what caused the rise of one Slck Willy. Did Rove put that failed 1992 campaign together too? He may have, as Papa Bush had him on his political staff. And who can forget how Dubya fell from grace with the public? We don't need repeat performances like this, or we're done as a nation.

With respect to "Dubya", he didn't keep HIS promises any better than his father. Instead of being a uniter, as he famously claimed, he has divided the GOP, as well as the country. He continues to do so after his Presidency. He speaks through others, but he pretends not to be a dividing factor himself. Instead of supporting the Republican president, Bush's faction is undermining him.

If the GOP loses, it will be because of the Bushes and their leading henchman, Karl Rove. He really is a Stone Cold Loser, and seems to be proud of it. Read my lips, No MORE BUSHES. "Turd blossom" as Dubya calls him, needs a brand rebuild. He can start with an apology and an endorsement of Paxton. Not likely. He's certainly not MAGA.

Victory is in sight?

May everything this dude says come true.

Apathy is the greatest enemy here. It's being drilled into the people's heads continually.

Obama says you need a magic wand. But there's no magic. Just a will to action. You see, there's folks who've given up. That's no good. Obama is just keeping that discouragement going with that wise crack about magic wands. It's no mystery. There's no magic.

Lani Guinier plus James Carville plus James Talarico means disaster for America

Anybody out there remember Lani Guinier? Her nomination failed in 1993, and was withdrawn by then President Bill Clinton. James Talarico claims to be for checks and balances, but would he agree with James Carville's plan? Why should anybody believe Talarico when he doesn't have any respect for truth himself. The same charge of dishonesty was applied to "Slick Willy" ---Bill Clinton. Events may prove to be worse than most people would like to think. If this happens, America as we have known it, will be destroyed.

Don't let James Talarico skin-suit Texas and America. It is a risk we cannot afford to take.

Space program spinning its wheels

10/30/26:

Trump didn't end VentureStar, Pres. George W. Bush did. Instead, Bush initiated Constellation, which Obama cancelled. Then the SLS replaced Constellation, and the National program stalled out. Now there's SpaceX, but the Democrats commies want to cancel out Musk because they're big mad at him for buying Twitter and supporting Trump.

Now there's Robert (Third) Reich, who wants to nationalize SpaceX. You cannot nationalize genius. What a fool.  America will  lose the race to the moon to China, which is what the commies want anyway. (IF THE COMMIES WIN, DON'T LET 'EM!)

10/7/12: The original post is below:

That's why it is stuck in LEO ( low Earth orbit).

The only way space gets conquered is if it can become economical to have it.  It was the same story with automobiles.  Until Henry Ford produced the Model T, cars were an expensive toy for the rich.  The Model T made owning a car affordable for the general public.

There's not much incentive in Washington to reduce the costs of anything.  The real incentive is to make everything as expensive as possible.  That kind of thinking is what brought us trillion dollar deficits that were shocking four years ago.  Now, they are commonplace.  At least as long as our credit holds up.

I like Gingrich because I like space and his space initiatives seemed to offer the best chance forward in space.  He advocated prizes for space achievements.  People respond to prizes, so his idea made good sense.  Lindbergh crossed the Atlantic in response to a prize.  Gingrich was just advocating the long observed principle of people responding to incentives.  People responded to incentives in buying a Model T, it was after all, affordable.

What is the incentive in Washington?  To amass more power, that's what.  It doesn't do anything but grow budgets and grow debts.  Washington is nothing but a big, fat money and power hog.

This SLS system is a big boondoggle.  I can't think of anything more stupid- if the idea is to conquer space.  If the idea is to spend more money in order to do nothing, then this is your baby.  Instead of squandering billions, the intelligent thing to do is to use what already works, instead of spending money you don't have in order to recreate something that already existed 30 years ago.

The VentureStar would have worked, but that was canceled.  But the VentureStar would not have taken very much cargo to space.  Well, who cares?  You don't need to have one ship do every damned thing.  The VentureStar could have taken people to space on a regular basis.  You can rationalize this on an economic basis- like the Model T.  Some say the VentureStar was a boondoggle.  Even if it was a boondoggle, it is a small boondoggle.  Better to have small ones than a big one like the SLS.

The Model T worked because it wasn't intended to be all things to all people.  It worked because it was affordable.  If the VentureStar could have transported people to space for an affordable price, it would have been worth every penny spent on it.  It could have been the modern era's Model T.  It could have worked.  If only Washington did.

Dinesh D'Souza -- Death of a Nation

10/30/26:

Here's a GAB AI chat about the film. How many so-called "right-wing" influencers actually use information like this? You won't find this in many places, and you will find it right here.

6/12/26: The original post is below:

This was a movie made several years ago, maybe in 2018. The point being that I know that it isn't new, but it IS new to me.

There's some new information ( once again to me ) presented. Perhaps it may be considered new to others as well.

It's been written many times here that there's no big difference between communists and fascists. So that isn't new to me. The historical view shows that this is actually quite true. Fascism was well-known to be a creature of the left during the time of Mussolini and Hitler. How many folks knew that? I didn't. Just goes to show ya, I guess.

If I, being one who follows politics a lot; didn't know that, then it stands to reason that many folks out there don't know that.

But I suppose these same folks wouldn't care, or wouldn't bother finding out for themselves if this is true.

Indeed, you cannot convince a man who will not be convinced. You CAN convince a man who is mostly convinced anyway.

I write that because it seems to be a rather powerful movie that should have moved the needle, but really didn't. Why do you suppose that is?

Here's a trailer for the film. It is on Tubi. I just watched it for the first time today. Highly recommended.

3rd Quarter GDP Comes in Strong at 3.4% Growth - Even with Massive Increase in Imported Industrial Purchases, "The AI Factor"

CTH

Comment:

Nice write up by Sundance.

Guess I'm going to beat this one to death, but here goes anyway. The political left, as well as Talarico, are running on the fear of AI. But if AI rescues our economy and our nation, we may be destroying our very capacity to help ourselves if we let him win the day with that. Then our situation may well become hopeless.

Talarico is running against hope. Think about what that could mean. But the Bushies are worried about Paxton so much that they may have sabotaged his campaign. If it succeeds, that will help the Bushes, but the Bushies are supposed to be so virtuous doncha know.  I smell a substantially large rat.  

Beware the cornered rat!

10/30/26:

It is interesting to go through this post as well as the comments.

The same playbook is being used against Paxton. It didn't work on Trump, but will it work on Paxton?

Have to say that I don't think much of the Bush faction, and that is getting more so every day. Reagan made a big mistake in naming George Herbert Walker Bush as his running mate in 1980. If he didn't do that, nobody would ever have known a thing about the Bushes. Bush couldn't get the nomination in 1980, and he probably wouldn't have beaten Carter even if he did. He owed his career, such as it was, to none other than the Gipper. But the Gipper made a mistake. Or was it? If there are so many who cannot discern what is important from what isn't, then what chance do we have?

6/1/24: The original post is below:

11:44 AM

Looks like this published before I thought it would be.

As for additional commentary, I might want to reiterate that this won't have the affect that is intended. We'll have to see about that. As for me, it only increases my determination. I can't speak for others on this, however. Therefore, that remains to be seen. This article is good to see.

Just because they are desperate DOES NOT MEAN that they should be underestimated. To the contrary. Cornered rats indeed.



Beware the cornered rat!

Those in glass houses should throw no stones

Neil Bush pretty much endorsed Talarico, and was said to have voted for him. Why? Now Talarico is attacking Ken Paxton for corruption. Could he have made a corrupt bargain HIMSELF????? I remember the Democrats attacking the Bushes back in the day. What's going on here?

Question: Did Neil Bush, the relative of George W. Bush, have an accusation of wrongdoing at one time in the past?

Brave AI:

Yes, Neil Bush, brother of former President George W. Bush, was accused of **gross negligence** and **conflicts of interest** in the 1980s.

As an outside director of Silverado Banking, Savings and Loan Association from 1985 to 1988, he was charged by federal regulators with failing to disclose his business ties to major borrowers while approving loans that contributed to the institution's collapse. The U.S. Office of Thrift Supervision determined he engaged in "numerous breaches of his fiduciary duties," and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) filed a civil suit against him and other officers in 1990. Although **never charged with a crime** and not pardoned by his father President George H.W. Bush, Bush settled the civil lawsuit out of court in 1992 by paying **$50,000**.

Share available for 7 days for the extra part of this conversation:

Gavin Newsome admits on Undercover Video that he is all in on the socialist takeover of the Democrat Party

Louder with Crowder.

Hillary seems to say that the "far-right" is the bigger problem. What does she mean by "far-right"?

It is the same-old same-old tactic of taking the leftist program of the Nazis, and calling it a conservative phenomenon.

To me, "far-right" is code word for any oppostion to the left. It is a commie trick.

Talarico lying about class sizes?

Who'da thunk that one? /sarc

Well, it is the New York Times, so it must be the twuth. /wtf?

GDP up 3.4%, led by consumer spending

The report is a bit puzzling if consumer confidence is supposedly so low. This makes no sense unless somebody's lying, and then it makes a lot of sense. Yeah, but who's lying?

Why not ask the olde Brave AI? Questionable output incoming!

There may be a political component to the numbers, check this out:

From the report:

The divergence is driven by three main demographic splits:

**Age / Generation**

The Conference Board's bounce is concentrated among **consumers under 35** (Gen Z and Millennials), who are the only age group showing an upward trend on a six-month moving average. Gen X, Baby Boomers, and the Silent Generation continued to trail significantly, widening a gap that has persisted for two years. Conference Board CEO Steve Odland put it plainly: older consumers on fixed incomes feel their purchasing power eroding while food and gas bills rise. Michigan's current-conditions collapse (−20% YoY) hits those same older cohorts hardest — their sentiment is the most depressed, and they have less flexibility to absorb price increases.

**Income & Wealth**

The Conference Board found that **only households earning $100k or more** expressed increased confidence on a six-month basis. Michigan's data is more granular: **lower-income consumers** (bottom third) and **households with smaller stock portfolios** recorded the steepest declines. The mechanism is clear — wealthier consumers are cushioned by equity gains and can weather inflation, while lower-income households feel every price increase directly. This explains why the Conference Board's headline number can tick up (pulled by the optimistic top tier) while Michigan's current-conditions index plunges (dragged down by the bottom).

**Political Affiliation**

This is where the two surveys tell the sharpest different stories:

- **Conference Board:** Confidence improved across all affiliations, with **Republicans posting the largest gain**. - **Michigan:** Democrats and Republicans each registered improvement, but it was **offset by a decline among independents**, leaving the overall index flat. Independents — a large and economically vulnerable bloc — are the swing factor keeping Michigan's number pinned near historic lows.

**Education**

Michigan separately flagged that consumers **without a college degree** saw some of the largest sentiment reductions, consistent with the income pattern (lower degrees correlate with lower earnings and less portfolio cushion).

---

**The net effect:** The Conference Board's 7.5-point jump is a story of younger, wealthier, and Republican consumers feeling relief from lower gas prices. Michigan's flat-but-depressed reading reflects the reality for older, lower-income, independent, and less-educated consumers who are still feeling the full weight of persistent inflation — and who make up a large share of the population. The two surveys aren't contradictory; they're just weighting different parts of the distribution differently.

Comment:

LOWER GAS PRICES??? This is pretty goofy stuff, ya'll.

For the Midterms, Democrats Hate President Trump’s Stunning Record!

American Thinker: by Joan Swirsky:

Unless Democrats succeed in rigging the upcoming midterm elections, Americans will continue to benefit and prosper from the POTUS’s heroic vision.

Quote:

But their maniacal and clinically irrational hatred of all things Trump and their ongoing abject failure to produce any policies or action plans or even philosophies to counter his juggernaut of all things good and great for America are not worthy of even one single vote in the midterms.

Comment:

Never underestimate the power of stupid. The article also mentions that if the Democrats win, it will be because the public decided to believe in a myth.

In other words, the public will let themselves be deceived. But for what???

Not very smart, but there it is. That is, if you believe the polls.

I'm not into believing myths. I'd prefer to strip away all the phoney tinsel, and get down to the real tinsel.

What would Jesus do?

If you want answers, go to the source... The commies are not the source...

Look up in the New Testament what Jesus had to say about phonies and fakes.... He called them Devils. To their faces. Their response was an effort to stone Him, but He hid Himself in the Temple.

Here it is in the Gospel of John movie. The movie follows the New Testament closely---- jipped to the relevant scene.



We know from the New Testament that what Jesus did in that time. It was probably be the same today. But hearing the commies, they'd say that Jesus wouldn't say this at all.

But the commies really don't want to hear the truth, and the commies want to kill Trump, who says things they don't like. Would Jesus have done this?

A close examination of this video will reveal an answer not convenient to the commies, as they well know. That is why they are trying to usurp the Word.

Democrats now favor oppression and censorship by almost 3 to 1

10/28/26:

A Democrat yard sign around here says that "Democracy is Important". Nothing wrong with that except the fact that Democrats are more for oppression and censorship than for democracy. You can tell communists by the fact that they like to use feel good labels for themselves, but the reality is that they are quite the opposite of what they present themselves as being.

7/27/23:

Behind the Black Blog: Democrats now favor oppression and censorship by almost 3 to 1

Comment:

There has been a shift in opinion, according to this. As recently as 2018, there wasn't any difference between Republicans or Democrats. But now, the Democrats have switched over to favoring censorship by a large margin.

The truth is that the Democrats have ALWAYS been in favor of censorship. But they are open about it now. For example, The late Rush Limbaugh had a TV show, in which he demonstated the attitude of the left. He hid his face behind the dot, as he introduced himself on his first TV show. It was done in humor, but there has always been that component in of the Democrat psyche. They ALWAYS wanted to "flush Rush".

Now that it is all out in the open, what is to be done about it?

A related story:

Study: Democrat Support for Violence to Coerce Members of Congress, Restore Federal Right to Abortion Rises

Comment:

The article also said that there was hope that the Trump indictments would REDUCE his support, but has radicalized Republicans instead. More indictments would mean even further radicalization.

The Red-Green Alliance Burning France (Obama, Slotkin and El-Sayed Bring It Home)

There's a lot more at stake in this election than prices at the pump. Barbara Boyd gives the Monday Brief at Promethean Action.

VDH on USA, Russia, China summit

The Euros are in panic mode that Trump will bring peace to Europe.

Chekov checks out

The Captain can't blame it on the Klingons this time.  

Captain Kirk versus Christopher Columbus --- Rap Battle

Yeats, The Second Coming

10/27/26:

If you can believe what you see and hear on the webs, then you may feel that things are very, very wrong.

How to respond? You just do what is in front of you. The rest is in the hands of a higher power.

Why use language like that? Only that there is just so much that any one human being can do. I've done my part. I'm not going to just let it all go. I will do more, but what if that isn't enough to stop the worst?

If the worst comes into being, so be it.

The point is you cannot control events. Events are beyond any one individual. Lots of powerful people are out there trying to influence events their way. Even the powerful cannot stop everything if it is the thing that will be.

What I see is a lot of passion of the ones who may be the worst, but SEEMINGLY less passion from those who could be the best, buy may not be after all. If there's no passion then there can be no good.

6-20-23: Update for post of 4-5-23

The original post included only an embedded video, of which I don't recollect anything. Too bad. That's because the video was taken down, and nothing has been said as to why.

I notice this happening on old posts, and wonder about what's driving this. The idea for making the post was not to promote contention. At least, I don't think so. Nor was it to reflect badly upon the video. Then why would anyone object?

At any rate, I do not like my posts being changed without my knowledge nor understanding about what was objectionable about it.

"https://poets.org/poem/second-coming?mbd=1" is what is left of the embedded html. Either poets dot org objected, or somebody else did. As a consequence, I will repost another video about the poem. As far as I know, there should be no objection to this. Many videos that I embed have been on youtube for a long time. So, it is rather curious that just because I post about it, somebody wants to take it down.

Here's the new video. Let's see what happens to it.

Talarico billboard says how much more Texans are paying

Is there any answer to this? Yes, right here.  Don't let Talarico make a skin-suit out of Texas and wear it as his own personal trophy.

The Yardbirds - Shapes of Things (1966)

10/27/26:

The blog is coming full circle. In the early days of it, there was the social criticism of no respect for the truth. Has that changed any?

There will be an election soon that will determine this. There may be no escaping from what may result from it. At the time of the last update in 2023, I had become more pessimistic. Things may have brightened up a bit, but the dark clouds seem to have gathered on the horizon again.

If Talarico can lie like this, and if people allow themselves to be deceived by it, what will that mean for us all? It won't be good. It cannot be good.

4/26/23:

Anyone ever heard of the saying that a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds? All liberalism does, and all that totalitarians do is to take advantage of the weaknesses of little people. That may sound elitist. But I'm not elitist. I have weaknesses too. Yes, and these kind of people have tried and will try to take advantage of my own weaknesses. Unfortunately, that is the way of the world.

The song asks if time will make man more wise. Probably not.

1/22/23:

update of 5.1.16 post

This song came to mind again this morning, and I thought I'd make a post about it. Turns out that I made one previously. So it is only an update.

There are multiple instances of the song that are posted on Youtube. The one I saw is not this one here. On the other, there are some comments that I noted. The comments are what I want to discuss.

The comment at the top of the list appears to be from someone who is much younger than I am. I grew up when this song was being played on the radio as brand new. It was first recorded about 66 or 67. Well, the comment was about how world was being destroyed, and how the song related to that. I have to laugh...

Most of my childhood was spent in Houston, and the part that wasn't, was in San Antonio. Houston is an industrial town, and there's pollution there. But it was far worse in the sixties than it was when I left town in 2016. It is almost as if the younger generation has discovered pollution or something. We were all very aware of it, I assure anyone who wasn't around back then. Maybe the comment was referring to the thing called "climate change".

Anyone who has read much of this blog knows what I think of climate change. I'll add some more to it, now. Climate alarmism is the same as COVID alarmism. Alarmism is a favorite tactic of useless politicians. Actually, they are worse than useless. People in the days of old had a healthy skepticism of politicians. Not so much these days. All these politicans have to do is to cry wolf, and people run for the hills. It would appear that folks need to remember the story of the boy who cried wolf. Yet, it is the younger generation who seem to need to hear that story the most.

My generation was hoodwinked into alarmism as well. The young are the most succeptible to this kind of thing. Their lives are in front of them, and they haven't much experience. Once they've been around awhile, they may catch on to these kind of shams. Unfortunately, almost everybody fell for the COVID scam.

The song appear to question the idea of material progress. Material progress was highly valued up till the sixties, but obviously that has changed. What has also changed is that material progress has slowed down--- a lot. It has taken over 50 years to get back to the moon, even if Elon Musk's Starship succeeds. Maybe China will get there. Back in the sixties, the Chinese got around on bicycles. We had our muscle cars. There's a message in there, if you bother to look for one.

Don't misunderstand. I'm not excusing pollution. Nor even the production of so-called greenhouse gasses ( assuming that these gasses actually cause global warming, which I doubt.) The thing I'm criticizing here is the total lack of intellectual curiousity that has become rampant in this society. If there was such, there would be less opportunity for all of the alarmism that runs rampant, and it is this alarmism that is greater thing to worry about than the things the politicians love to scare people about.

Heard this on the road this morning.  I like this song.

Evidence of Talarico's phoniness

Must bring the receipts. What better way to do that than to use AI?

Talarico is on record with his statements, but what does the Bible say?

Whatever "spiritual" alignment Talarico has is not in accordance with what the Bible says. So what does that say about Talarico?

If the PDF does not display, download the PDF here.

Can view it on my W3Schools webpage too. Just click on Link on the current date on the coding page.

Feeling a bit feisty right now

The left is starting to puff themselves up for a big fight with those that they don't like. I'm referring to the post election if they win. Boy, if they win, they want to go hot and heavy after Elon Musk and maybe some other folks. I'm thinking the MAGA folks may be in the cross-hairs.

So I'm out there in the wild today, and someone strikes up a conversation with me.

This individual sounds like one of the lefties who want to blame everything on their opponents, and forget to consider that some of this "affordable" issue is on them. Indeed, I'd say a lot more than "some" of this affordable issue is on them.

But if they win, it won't make any difference if it is really their fault that we pay too much for things. They'll be running things, and what they say will be the thing that goes. Or so they may think.

Yours truly didn't argue. But I wonder if I should've said something. Well, I wasn't there to pick fights with anyone, so I let it go.

But there may be a bit of spillover. Once those juices get going, who knows where it may end up.

It may be time to start watching it out there.

On the other hand, things might go sideways in a hurry no matter who wins. There's some talk out there that the left may go apeshit if they don't win.

Things may get feisty all right.

A good question and a thorough answer

Why does it take so many launches for Starship, when the Apollo program only needed one? Ellie in Space tackles that question.

Comment:

Maybe they could do with less launches, but Elon Musk is da boss, and what da boss says is what goes.

But that might rub somebody the wrong way.

Robert Ringer on a certain movie, and

how it may apply to real life today

So I asked Brave AI (about the movie): Brave AI:

Please summarize the movie Being There starring Peter Sellers

**Being There** is a **1979** satirical comedy-drama directed by **Hal Ashby**, starring **Peter Sellers** in one of his most acclaimed roles. Based on the novel by **Jerzy Kosiński**, the film follows **Chance**, a simple-minded, sheltered gardener who has spent his entire life in a Washington, D.C. townhouse with only television for company. After his wealthy employer dies, Chance is evicted and stumbles into the world, where his childlike innocence and gardening metaphors are misinterpreted by the political elite as profound wisdom.

**Chance** (later mistaken for "Chauncey Gardiner") becomes a confidant to a dying industrialist, **Ben Rand** (played by **Melvyn Douglas**, who won an **Academy Award** for the role), and Rand’s wife, **Eve** (**Shirley MacLaine**). As Chance rises to become a national celebrity and potential presidential advisor, the film serves as a sharp critique of media superficiality, political obsession, and the emptiness of modern discourse. Sellers’ performance is widely regarded as a masterpiece of understated comedy, earning him an **Oscar nomination** for Best Actor.

The film holds a **95% rating** on Rotten Tomatoes and is celebrated for its **subtle direction**, **sophisticated satire**, and **melancholic yet humorous tone**. It remains a timeless examination of how perception shapes reality, with Chance’s lack of understanding ironically allowing him to navigate high society more effectively than those who claim to understand it.

Movie Trailer on YouTube:



Comment:

Yours truly is no admirer of the former veep and presidential candidate, but even she isn't that dumb.

No, I'm not being overly generous about Ms. Harris. But this is a most implausible scenario. The comparison is not apt.

Speaking of skin suits--- Check out this story on Whatfinger

Power bills in LA reach $2k-$3k! Even the media is reporting this.

Comment:

Keep in mind that this story is about "Collyfornia"---and that ain't Trump's fault...

Note: I used the term "Collyfornia" to make fun of Arnold Schwarzenegger, the former governor who made the big promises and delivered absolutely nothing. The "Governator" got terminated.

If you have trouble getting off the fence you folks here in Texas, just take one look at the once Golden State.

The radical left made a skin suit out of the once Golden State, and wear it like a trophy. Do we want this for the Lone Star State? Do we want this for America?

Saturday class video of Promethean Action

This is a bit of a financial history of the USA lesson. Let me just throw in my two cents here, and anybody who wants to and is interested can watch this video. I watched about 15 minutes of it, but time is a bit short, as always. So I cut it short.

The reason that you should know that this is true is that the North won the Civil War, and the South lost it. The North had the factories and the money. The South was relatively poor, and could not compete. Those are the facts.

The North was the manufacturing area of the country. The South was the agricultural area of the country. Does that not say anything about the validity of Hamilton's ideas?

Furthermore, the North favored the Hamiltonian way, and the South opposed it.

The one thing that I would add as a caveat is the notion of a national bank.

So if we were to have fair trade ( it doesn't even have to be protectionist, which is a hyperbole because it isn't protectionist to refuse to go full free trade), we would benefit from that immensely.

It's the free trade uber alles that I oppose, and why I favor the Trump policy of bilateral trade agreements as opposed to free trade uber alles.

I don't think it is necessary to increase debt, but how debt is managed is certainly in need of discussion. America spends too much on servicing the debt. Don't know if this video covers that, so maybe I should come back to it later, when time permits.

Discovering Paul

I discovered it on Amazon, lost it, and now I'm discovering it again.  I'd like to comment upon in light of what is happening in the Texas Senatorial Campaign, and James Talarico.  Time does not permit it today.  Perhaps later today, I will to it.  This will be a marker in the meantime.

Update:

This Talarico situation evoked within me the notion of the Apostle Paul for some reason. But Talarico hasn't had a "Road to Damascus" moment. He is just making it up so as to pull enough legs in order to get elected.

In other words, he needs to get folks to think that he is what he isn't, not what he is; which is a problem for him in his plans to get elected.

It is a trick that works in politics, but this is Texas. Maybe it won't work here, but the election hasn't been held yet. Early voting has gone on for a week now.

Time is running short. end update

Link to the Discovering Apostle Paul documentary series:

Looks like I did a post already, but not published here as far as I can tell. I must have forgotten about it. I will post it now, just below:

The Apostle Paul There was a 1986 TeeVee series on the Apostle Paul shown on Amazon Prime video. So, once again, I get the idea of asking AI. This time, I used the Brave AI, which is Free, as opposed to the GAB AI, which I pay a small monthly fee to access.

Question for Brave AI:

Discuss for me please, the historical and religious figure of the Apostle Paul, originally known as Saul of Tarsus

Answer

Paul the Apostle, originally known as **Saul of Tarsus**, was a pivotal first-century Christian missionary and theologian who transformed Christianity from a Jewish sect into a global faith. Born around **5–10 CE** in **Tarsus, Cilicia** (modern-day Turkey), he was a **Roman citizen** and a devout **Pharisee** trained under the rabbi **Gamaliel** in Jerusalem. Initially a fierce **persecutor** of early Christians, believing the new movement threatened Jewish law, his life changed radically during a visionary encounter with the risen **Jesus** on the road to **Damascus**. This conversion led to his blindness, healing by **Ananias**, and his commissioning as the **Apostle to the Gentiles**.

Paul’s missionary journeys across the **Roman Empire** established key Christian communities in cities such as **Philippi**, **Corinth**, and **Ephesus**. He argued that **Gentile** converts did not need to adhere to strict **Jewish law** (such as circumcision), a stance solidified at the **Jerusalem Council**. This theological shift helped separate Christianity from Judaism and emphasized salvation by **grace through faith**. His **13 epistles** in the New Testament form a significant portion of Christian scripture, addressing core doctrines like justification, the resurrection, and the nature of the **Church** as the body of Christ.

Paul’s legacy extends beyond theology; he is often regarded as the most influential figure in Christianity after **Jesus** himself. His strategic use of **Roman citizenship** to appeal to **Caesar** allowed him to spread the gospel widely and protect his mission. Blending **Greco-Roman rhetoric** with **Jewish scriptural exegesis**, Paul’s writings laid the intellectual foundations for Christian doctrine and influenced Western philosophy and human rights concepts. He is traditionally believed to have been martyred in **Rome** around **64–67 CE**.



Question: Elaborate

Answer: ## The Man Before the Road



Saul of Tarsus was born into a privileged, bilingual world. Tarsus, in modern-day southern Turkey, was a major Greco-Roman intellectual center — a fact Paul himself references in Acts 21:39, where he reminds a Roman tribune that he is "a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, instructed strictly according to our father's law." This dual identity — Roman citizen, Hellenistic-educated, and rigorously trained in Jewish Torah — would define his entire ministry. He was also a Pharisee of the sect of the Pharisees (Acts 26:5), meaning he belonged to the most law-observant and politically influential Jewish group of the era.

His occupation was tent-making (Acts 18:3), a modest trade that likely provided financial independence for his later travels. He was present at the stoning of Stephen, the first Christian martyr, "keeping the garments of those who killed him" (Acts 7:58) — a detail that underscores how deeply embedded he was in the apparatus of persecution.

## The Conversion in Detail

The conversion narrative appears three times in Acts (chapters 9, 22, and 26), each with a different audience and emphasis. The core sequence:

- **The encounter:** As Saul traveled to Damascus (roughly 130 miles / 210 km northeast of Jerusalem, a six-day journey) with letters from the Sanhedrin authorizing him to arrest Christians, "a light from heaven flashed around him." He fell to the ground and heard the voice: *"Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"* When he asked who was speaking, the reply was: *"I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting"* (Acts 9:4–5).

- **The blindness:** Saul was struck blind. His companions, who heard the voice but saw no one, led him by the hand into Damascus.

- **The three days:** In Damascus, on a street called Straight, at the house of a man named Judas, Saul remained blind and fasted for three days — a period of profound spiritual crisis and reorientation.

- **Ananias:** A disciple named Ananias received a vision from Jesus instructing him to go to Saul. Ananias was initially terrified, knowing Saul's reputation. He laid hands on Saul, Saul's sight was restored, he was baptized, and he received the Holy Spirit.

- **The commission:** Jesus told Saul he was chosen "as a witness of what you have seen of me, and I will send you far away to the Gentiles" (Acts 22:15). This commissioning as the **Apostle to the Gentiles** was the single most consequential theological decision in early Christianity.

A scholarly nuance worth noting: some commentators (notably R.C. Lenski) argue that the *conversion* proper — the internal acceptance of the gospel — was completed in Damascus through Ananias's ministry, not on the road itself. The road was the moment of *conviction*; Damascus was the moment of *faith*.

## The Four Missionary Journeys

Paul traveled an estimated **10,000 miles** (16,000 km) by land and sea over roughly 14 years, moving through what is now Turkey, Greece, Syria, and Israel. His journeys are recorded in Acts chapters 13–28.

| Journey | Approx. Dates | Route | Key Events | |---|---|---|---|

| **First** | c. 46–48 CE | Antioch → Cyprus → Pamphylia → Galatia (Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, Derbe) | Confrontation with the sorcerer Elymas in Paphos; conversion of the proconsul Sergius Paulus; Paul stoned and left for dead in Lystra |

| **Second** | c. 51–54 CE | Antioch → Galatia → Troas → Macedonia → Achaia (Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, Corinth) | The "Macedonian Call" vision at Troas; the first European convert, Lydia, in Philippi; Paul and Silas imprisoned and freed by earthquake; the famous **Areopagus sermon** in Athens; 18 months in Corinth |

| **Third** | c. 53–57 CE | Antioch → Galatia → Phrygia → Ephesus (3 years) → Macedonia → Achaia → Jerusalem | Three years of teaching at the school of Tyrannus in Ephesus; the riot of the silversmiths; final visit to Jerusalem |

| **Fourth** (implied) | c. 60–62 CE | Rome → Spain? | Alluded to in Philemon 22 and 2 Timothy 4:21; the destination "Spain" is speculative |

The **Jerusalem Council** (Acts 15, c. 49 CE) was a watershed: Paul and Barnabas presented the case that Gentile converts did not need to be circumcised or keep the Mosaic law. The council agreed, issuing a decree requiring only abstinence from food polluted by idols, sexual immorality, and blood — a decision that effectively separated the Christian mission from Jewish legal obligation.

## Theology: The Architecture of Paul's Thought

Paul's 13 epistles (the earliest surviving Christian texts, written before any of the Gospels) develop a theological system of extraordinary density. The major pillars:

**Justification by Faith.** This is the backbone of Pauline theology, especially in Romans and Galatians. Paul argues that no one — Jew or Gentile — can be declared righteous before God by keeping the Mosaic law. "A man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ" (Galatians 2:16). His proof text is Genesis 15:6: "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." Abraham was justified by faith *four centuries before* the law was given at Sinai, so the law cannot be the basis of salvation. This doctrine would later become the central slogan of the Protestant Reformation (*sola fide*), though Paul's own context was a dispute with "Judaizers" who insisted Gentile converts must also be circumcised.

**Grace.** Closely tied to justification: "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast" (Ephesians 2:8–9). Grace (*charis*) is unmerited divine favor — the radical claim that God's acceptance of sinners is not earned but freely given.

**The Church as the Body of Christ.** In 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12, Paul develops the metaphor of the Church as a single body with many members, each with different functions but united in one Spirit. This was a revolutionary social vision in a world rigidly stratified by class, gender, and ethnicity: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28).

**The Resurrection.** In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul gives the most extensive early treatment of the resurrection, calling it "the firstfruits" of a general resurrection to come. He even lists the order of appearances of the risen Jesus, making his letter a key historical source for the post-crucifixion events.

**The Law and the Spirit.** Paul does not simply discard the Torah. Rather, he argues the law served as a "tutor" or "guardian" (*paidagōgos*) leading people to Christ (Galatians 3:24). The Spirit fulfills what the law could only point toward: the internal transformation of the heart.

## The Epistles: A Literary and Historical Corpus

The thirteen letters attributed to Paul (Romans, 1–2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1–2 Thessalonians, 1–2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon) were written between roughly 48 and 67 CE, making them the **oldest Christian documents in existence** — predating the earliest Gospels by at least a decade or two. Scholars generally agree that seven of these (Romans, 1–2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, 1 Thessalonians, Philemon) are authentically Pauline; the remaining six (Ephesians, Colossians, 2 Thessalonians, 1–2 Timothy, Titus) are debated, with many modern scholars classifying them as "Deutero-Pauline" — written by later followers in his name and style.

The letters were not originally composed as theology textbooks. They were **pastoral correspondence** — responses to specific crises in specific churches. The Galatians were being pressured to adopt circumcision; the Corinthians had factional disputes, sexual immorality, and confusion about resurrection; the Romans were a church Paul had not yet visited but wanted to prepare for his planned mission to Spain. This situational character gives the letters an immediacy and urgency that pure systematic theology rarely achieves.

## Suffering, Imprisonment, and Death

Paul's ministry was marked by relentless hardship. In 2 Corinthians 11:23–27, he gives a staggering résumé: "In labors more abundant, in beatings no less, in deaths often. Five times I received from the Jews the thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have been adrift. On the road often, in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own people, in danger from the Gentiles, in danger in the city, in danger in the wilderness, in danger at sea, in danger from false brothers."

He was imprisoned in Philippi (where the earthquake freed him and Silas), in Caesarea (where he was held for two years under Governor Festus), and in Rome (where he was under house arrest for two years, writing what are called the "Prison Epistles"). Tradition holds that he was executed by beheading in Rome under Nero, around 64–67 CE, likely during the persecution following the Great Fire of Rome in 64 CE. His Roman citizenship would have spared him the crucifixion reserved for non-citizens, making beheading the method of execution.

## Legacy

Paul the Apostle is, by most scholarly and confessional accounts, the single most influential figure in Christianity after Jesus himself. His letters constitute roughly a third of the New Testament. His theological framework — justification by faith, grace, the universality of the gospel, the Church as a trans-ethnic body — shaped every subsequent Christian tradition, from the early Church Fathers through the Reformation to modern evangelicalism. His method of using Roman infrastructure (roads, ports, legal rights) to spread a religious message across the Mediterranean was, in a sense, the first act of global religious communication. And his personal trajectory — from the church's most zealous enemy to its most zealous apostle — remains the paradigmatic narrative of conversion in Western culture, so much so that a "Damascus moment" is now a common idiom for any sudden, transformative change of mind.

Glenn Beck discusses Ilhan Omar investigation

This kind of news ought to make red-blooded American's blood to boil. Instead we get doomers and black pillers claiming that "nothing is happening". Plenty is happening.

A lot more will continue to happen if Congress is kept by the GOP. But if not, all of this progress will be jeopardized.

Pastor responds to Talarico

This is somebody that I am not familiar with. But after this video, I intend to find out more.

Some comments upon video:

Update:

This was so promising, but now I just don't know. His YouTube site doesn't wow me. This video does seem rather inspired. Maybe I shouldn't give up on this guy too fast.

end update

Notes:

Identity theft of Jesus PROJECTION. Pastor outs Talarico as a deceiver. To me, this pastor is on the RIGHT TRACK. He uses the skin suit metaphor on Talarico. BINGO. Another great point he makes is the need for discernment. But the liberal political sphere tries to take that away from you. It literally makes people STUPID, in my opinion.

This is a must watch. This pastor breaks it all down with respect to Talarico's false prophet routine. How do you fight this? This pastor shows how that is done. In short, this pastor goes to the SOURCE for his guidance, which is what Jesus teaches as printed in the New Testament, and NOT what this politician is trying to claim---that is what makes Talarico a FALSE prophet, which is what JESUS teaches to be on the lookout for. Got that????????? So please watch this, and decide for yourself who you will believe. Will you believe what the Gospels say, or what Talarico says? And secondly, whether of not this pastor is telling the truth or not. That is for you to decide. Decide wisely and act appropriately.